Arsene rolls back years
HOW DOES Arsene Wenger get his players to look like the Arsenal of old? Put them up against a team that is even older, that is how.
In the end, it was doubles all round for Aaron Ramsey and Alexandre Lacazette. All in all, a somewhat appropriate toast to a CSKA Moscow defence that arrived at the Emirates with an average age of 35.
Incredibly, the CSKA defensive unit of twin centrebacks Aleksei and Vasili Berezutski, Sergei Ignashevich, who plays between them, and goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev have been playing together since 2004.
That was the year, ironically, that Arsenal were the ones going about the place calling themselves “The Invincibles”.
Two years later, the same four men stood in Arsenal’s path in the early years of this stadium and held the Gunners to a goalless draw.
Sadly, in the intervening 12 years, they had become not so much the Fab Four as the Easy-to-Beatles.
No wonder there was a spring in the step of 68-year-old Wenger as he bounced around the technical area as every goal went in. After all, these days this competition is his own delicate lifeline – and he is clutching it for all that he is worth.
He has another 12 months of his contract to run in the summer but another season of failure will surely see him ushered out of the door with or without a ceremony.
As a result, the Europa League is no longer a competition to keep his fringe players ticking over – his team last night was his strongest, from the fit again Lacazette all the way back to goalkeeper Petr Cech.
Until now, goalkeeper David Ospina had been trusted with the gloves in cup competitions but his failure to make it even onto the bench was explained away as an ankle injury picked up in training on Wednesday.
In fairness, neither of them could have stopped the incredible Aleksandr Golovin free-kick in the 15th minute that was conceded after some horrendous modern-day Arsenal defending by both Granit Xhaka and Laurent Koscielny.
It could have been an important away goal to take back to Moscow if Arsenal had not been so classically emphatic at the other end.
From the start, the home side had tried to fizz the ball around that experienced but laboured CSKA defence.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, out to Mesut Ozil, across to Jack Wilshere. Such swift, clinical movement was all too much for the Russians and when the ball was finally fed wide to Hector Bellerin, the full-back finished the move by picking out Ramsey who shot in from 10 yards to open the scoring.
Following the untimely equaliser, Lacazette got Arsenal back on the front foot from the penalty spot after Ozil failed to stay on his – the Germany midfielder already on the way to ground when Georgi Schennikov clumsily clattered into him.
The same defender was then too slow to step out, leaving Ramsey onside to convert Ozil’s neat chip with a stunning reverse back-heel flick over the goalkeeper five minutes later. Ozil, at the heart of most of what was good about Arsenal, added yet another assist to his tally when he picked out Lacazette in the 35th minute.
The striker had so much room to take a touch and pick his spot in the corner from the edge of the area.
Ozil should probably have added a hat-trick himself to remove the slightest hint of uncertainty from Thursday’s long trip for the return leg. Injury to Mkhitaryan on the hour was another minor cloud and the skies could have really darkened had an effort put away by Alan Dzagoev not been offside.
Substitute Alex Iwobi and Lacazette then somehow contrived to miss another gilt-edge chance and Nacho Monreal’s close-range header lacked enough power to give Arsenal a final silver lining.
Even Ramsey could only hit the woodwork with a crafted shot from 15 yards late on.
Arsenal should be comfortable enough even without that extra cushion and it is unlikely the second leg will end up giving the evergreen Wenger too many more grey hairs. ARSENAL (4-2-3-1): Cech; Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal; Ramsey, Xhaka; Ozil, Wilshere (Elneny 75), Mkhitaryan (Iwobi 61); Lacazette (Welbeck 74). Booked: Bellerin, Xhaka. Goals: Ramsey 9, 28, Lacazette 23 pen, 35. CSKA (3-5-2): I Akinfeev; V Berezutski, Ignashevich, A Berezutski; Kuchayev, Golovin, Natcho (Milanov 74), Dzagoev (Vitinho 65), Shchennikov; Musa (Khosonov 83), Wernbloom. Booked: Akinfeev, Shchennikov, Dzagoev, Musa. Goal: Golovin 15.
Referee: P Kralovec (Cze)